Enhancing communication with farmers Peter Hayman Australia

Enhancing communication with farmers Peter Hayman Australia

Communication • “the extension program could not begin because the loud hailers have not yet arrived” Cited by N. Rölling (1988) • Communication is “the reciprocal construction and clarification of meaning by interacting people” not the one way flow of a signal.

An innovation – new way of solving an old problem • An innovation presents uncertainty – is it appropriate for my long term self interest to adopt or reject ? • I might seek information, trial, wait and see or adopt with the option of future rejection. • Information – knowledge is different to an embedded technology like a seed

Empowering farmers & their advisers to tell agrometeorology what they see as important for agriculture • Communicating – dialoguing – discussing – arguing • Dancing in the Rain – farmers and agricultural scientists in a variable climate • Risk only makes sense in the mind and culture of the decision maker

Realizing the potential of climate prediction to agriculture Hansen (2002) Ag Systems 74: 309 -330 1. A need that is real and perceived by decision makers 2. Forecast of appropriate parameter with sufficient accuracy and lead time 3. Decision options that can use forecast 4. Effective communication between climate science and decision maker 5. Institutional commitment and favourable policies

Realizing the potential of climate prediction to agriculture 1. A need that is real and perceived by decision maker 2. Forecast of appropriate parameter with sufficient accuracy and lead time 3. Decision options that can use forecast 4. Effective communication between climate science and decision maker 5. Institutional commitment and favourable policies

Meteorological equivalent of double helix • Science's gift to the 21 st Century. Glantz • The New Green Revolution. Cited in Hansen 2002

We have a mis-match Easterling 1999 Making Seasonal Climate Forecasts Matter • Forecasts of climate based on the interactions between the oceans and the atmosphere is one of the premiere advances of the atmospheric science at the close of the 20 th century. • Seasonal climate forecasts are ill suited to decision making and decision making is ill suited to seasonal climate forecasts

Strong El nino signal leads to higher variability + some prediction

Categorical forecasts If_Then_Else • IF the season is going to be dry - THEN plant wheat & chickpeas ELSE – canola • IF the season is going to be wet - THEN increase stocking rate ELSE – normal stocking rate

Farmers have always known what to do with an accurate forecast • “when more records are available, an accurate forecast can probably be made for a considerable period in advance…. . for if it be known that a succession of dry seasons are due, understocking the country must be resorted to, and its reverse when damp seasons are to follow” • John Barling 1902

Strong El nino signal leads to higher variability + some prediction

April to October rain in 12 El Nino years Footprint of each one is different A farmer might get 6 in their lifetime More El Nino events than bad droughts El Nino is increased risk of drought

The challenge of communicating skilful but uncertain forecasts Categorical SCF would be simpler – but everything should be made as simple as possible but no simpler (Einstein) Best understood as a random sampling of a distribution

Why we need probabilities 1. It is honest to be clear about the uncertainties. Laplace “Probability refers in part to our knowledge and in part to our ignorance” 2. Probabilities encourage risk management The belief in, and acceptance of, a range of alternative outcomes.

Using forecasts to know which way to lean not jump • If the end point is better risk management, misunderstanding forecasts as categorical will result in poorer risk management than if people never heard of the forecast • We know enough for you to adjust your risk management, not abandon it.

Communicating probability is hard • “Farmers have said they want to know whether it is likely to be dry, wet or average, not whethere is a 60% chance of getting 40% of the average rainfall” • Mumbling so that can never be wrong

However …. . • People deal with uncertainty all the time buy shares, get married, live on fault line, plant crops, buy cattle • Is it that people are not used to hearing about uncertainty from scientists ?

Winter in Tamworth > 340 mm < 266 mm

June - Nov when April May SOI phase is negative or rapidly rising

Many ways of talking about probabilities • Time series • Frequency • Drawing straws – sweets from a bag

Risky Decisions • Choice Consequence • IF you use X rate of fertiliser you will get Y yield • Choice chance consequences • If you use X rate of fertiliser, depending on the season, you will get Y Y Y (1) (2) (3)

Thankyou Hayman. peter@saugov. sa. gov. au